


wherever there is you I will be there too

by imadetheline



Series: Breathe In, Breathe Out [27]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Original Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Darth Vader Lives, Father-Son Relationship, FebuWhump2021, Fluff, Gen, Post RotJ, Sleepy Cuddles, Sunshine Luke Skywalker, Truth Serum, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:08:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29837883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imadetheline/pseuds/imadetheline
Summary: febuwhump alt one - truth serum
Relationships: Luke Skywalker & Darth Vader
Series: Breathe In, Breathe Out [27]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2140389
Comments: 24
Kudos: 96
Collections: Luke and Vader Bonding, febuwhump 2021





	wherever there is you I will be there too

**Author's Note:**

> title from silhouettes by of monsters and men
> 
> somehow i managed to only barely mention the truth serum lol but please enjoy

Vader sense Luke’s bright presence as soon as the boy lands on the Alliance base. But it doesn’t stop him from smiling behind the mask when the cell door slides open to reveal his son. His flight suit is still on, albeit pulled down with the arms tied around his waist, but it’s clear he came directly from landing in the hangar, his blond hair a mess from the piloting helmet. But Vader would be lying--something he’s currently incapable of--if he said he didn’t know what had made Luke rush to his cell.

And sure enough, as soon as the door is half-open, Luke is striding through, anger painted on his face. “I can’t believe them!” He says loudly, running his prosthetic hand through his hair, and Vader smiles as the motion messes the strands up even more. But now the boy’s pacing and throwing his hands up, not even fully looking at Vader. “As soon as I leave the base for  _ one _ day. I swear-” He groans and runs a hand over his face, “They promised they wouldn’t interrogate you if I wasn’t here, and then the moment I turn around, they’re here giving you a kriffing  _ truth serum _ ! I-”

And something warms in Vader’s chest at Luke’s clear protectiveness, even though he knows he does not deserve it, and it shouldn’t be Luke’s job anyway. So he quickly interjects before Luke gets going on a real tangent, “It’s alright, my son. I agreed to it.”

That stops Luke in his tracks as he slowly pivots on his heel to stare incredulously at his father. Vader has to stifle a chuckle at the expression. “You what?”

Vader sighs, a sound only interpreted as static by the vocoder, “I am happy to answer all their questions about the remaining dregs of the Empire, and they do not trust me, so this was the easiest way. And you need not worry--I had the ability to remain silent if I did not wish to answer certain questions.” For Vader is also from Tatooine, and he knows what his son was worried about--the importance of choice is learned quickly in a society where it is so often taken away. But Vader assurance seems to do its job.

Luke runs a hand over his face again, and he seems to deflate, his expression dropping from anger to exhaustion in a millisecond, and Vader is once again reminded that Luke has just returned from a mission and has disregarded his own needs to check on his father. He sends a wave of warmth over their bond, and Luke smiles weakly. “I still need to talk to them about the importance of _keeping_ _promises_ , though.”

Vader smiles softly from where he’s sitting on the cot, and he knows Luke can sense it even if he cannot see it, “But that can wait. You need rest,” he says gently, tilting his head as he studies his son’s slumped shoulders.

Luke brushes the comment away with a wave of his hand, “I’m fine,” and instead steps further into the cell, his eyes scanning over Vader, “Are  _ you _ alright?”

Vader frowns, but the serum has yet to wear off, so he gives the only answer he can, “As much as I always am, my son.”

Luke’s brows furrow, but he doesn’t comment on the avoidance of the question, just steps closer again until he falls onto the cot next to Vader, and Vader has to tilt his head to look down at the boy at his side. Luke just leans his head back against the metal wall and closes his eyes, and Vader’s reminded again of how far they’ve come, of how much he doesn’t deserve his son’s trust but that it still warms a long cold part of him that his son doesn’t fear closing his eyes in the presence of someone who has done him so much harm.

Silence reigns for a minute, and then Luke whispers, “Leia thinks she can find a medical team that’s willing to take apart your suit. It’s just going to take a little longer.”

Vader considers the words for a moment, looking down at the son who’s already done so much for him--saved him from the dark side, and then from execution after the fall of the empire, and has protected him in the weeks since, and now seeks to dismantle one of the last of Palpatine’s holds on him. His thoughts fall to his daughter, too; Leia will never forgive him, and he doesn’t blame her. It hurts but Vader respects her carefully maintained distance, and that she is even willing to look for medical treatment for him means more than he can put into words. They both have so much of their mother in them.

“Thank her for me,” he says softly, still smiling down fondly at Luke, whose eyes remain closed. His exhaustion is prominent in the Force, and Vader sends a subtle message of sleep to the boy. For a quiet second, it seems to work, but then Luke’s eyes snap open, and he tilts his head to glare at Vader. But there’s no heat in it. “I thought we talked about the sleep suggestions,” he says pointedly.

Vader doesn’t manage to restrain the chuckle this time, the vocoder rasping with the unfamiliar sound, “We did. But you looked like you could use it.”

Luke none too subtly tries to stifle a yawn behind his hand, eyes fluttering, “S’not an excuse, father.”

And finally, Vader can’t stop himself--he reaches up and ruffles Luke’s already messy hair with a gloved hand, warmth blossoming in his chest like it hasn’t in twenty years. Luke groans and half-heartedly tries to dislodge Vader’s hand before giving up and, to Vader’s surprise, just leans into Vader’s side.

For a moment, Vader is frozen with shock at the open trust. Then he’s lowering the hand in Luke’s hair to wrap around the boy’s shoulders and pull him even closer, marveling at the feel of Luke’s small form pressed against him when no one has dared to touch him for almost longer than he can remember. 

“You should return to your bunk, my son,” he says in a half-hearted attempt to get Luke to take care of himself. But selfishly, he doesn’t want Luke to budge, still in awe that he is allowed to hold his son like this.

Luke just yawns again and curls farther into Vader’s side, “Mmm, you’re warm.”

Vader smiles and thinks if he had the ability, he would be crying. But he just squeezes his son’s shoulder and feels Luke relax, his exhaustion slowly capturing him once more. With a small grin, Vader sends another small sleep suggestion over their bond. It’s met with the impression of an eye roll, but Luke lets it slip by his shields without complaint, even sending a whisper of gratitude wrapped in the light of suns that only he can produce.

Vader doesn’t move for hours.

**Author's Note:**

> only one more febuwhump prompt to catch up with, yay! and it's super long (for me at least) so it might take a few days for me to get it finished and post it but hopefully i can get it up in the next few days :)
> 
> If you guys liked it leave a comment. They make my day! Seriously I love reading them so please leave me one cause they motivate me to write more! if you guys have ideas for other stories send me an ask on tumblr [here](https://www.tumblr.com/blog/imadetheline) or just yell about stuff with me. Info about me and all my other tumblrs are [here](https://infoabtmaddie.carrd.co/#)


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